Prince Andrew won’t voluntarily cooperate in Epstein inquiry, says US prosecutor

Prince previously commented he was ‘willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations if required’

Related video: Prince Andrew made three offers of help to US authorities over Epstein, say lawyers (AFP via Getty Images)

Prince Andrew has “completely shut the door” on cooperating with investigators in the Jeffrey Epstein case, US lawyer Geoffrey Berman said.

The prince previously commented in November that he was “willing to help any appropriate law enforcement agency with their investigations if required”.

Mr Berman, who is leading the inquiry into sex trafficking allegations against the late Mr Epstein and his alleged co-conspirators, spoke to the press on Monday countering the prince’s November claim.

The prosecutor said: “Contrary to Prince Andrew’s very public offer to cooperate with our investigation into Epstein’s co-conspirators, an offer that was conveyed via press release, Prince Andrew has now completely shut the door on voluntary cooperation and our office is considering its options.”

The lawyer claimed in January that the prince had not yet cooperated with the investigation, telling the press at the time that they were looking for conspirators.

“The original charges against Jeffrey Epstein contained a conspiracy charge, and we alleged that there were conspirators involved, and Jeffrey Epstein couldn’t have done what he did without the assistance of others, and I can assure you that our investigation is moving forward,” Mr Berman said.

Mr Epstein died by suicide while in custody, ahead of a trial for sex-trafficking charges.

The prince has repeatedly denied accusations levelled at him, including by Virginia Giuffre, who claimed she was trafficked by Mr Epstein and forced to have sex with the the prince when she was 17 years old.

Prince Andrew has withdrawn from royal duties in recent months, following an interview with the BBC’s Emily Maitlis​ that prompted a barrage of criticism and scrutiny.

In a statement on Monday, Buckingham Palace said: “This issue is being dealt with by The Duke of York’s legal team. Buckingham Palace will not be commenting further on this particular matter.”

Additional reporting by the Press Association